The Christmas Chronicles
by Marni.246
Summary: This is a series of seven one-shots about the Cullens celebrating my favorite holiday! Each chapter takes place at each Christmas until Renesmee reaches maturity. All characters are Meyer's! I hope you enjoy! :
1. The First Christmas

A/N: This is a Christmas story that I am really, really excited about! It is a series of one-shots depicting the Cullens' Christmases. The first chapter takes place on Christmas Day during Breaking Dawn (my favorite book, for the record), after Bella, Edward, Jacob, and Renesmee return from their hunt. I hope you all enjoy it!!

The First Christmas

Emmett closed the bedroom door softly before turning to look at his wife. He recognized the sad look in her eyes for what it was, and knew he would probably have a long night before him.

In what was no doubt simply a ploy to make him feel as though he understood even less than he thought he did about women, Rosalie bit her lip and walked towards him, removing her sweater as she did, the sad look disappearing from her eyes. He was so shocked by her turn in behavior that he was powerless as she pushed him heartily into the wall and began to kiss him fiercely.

"Rose," he murmured, though it was awhile before he had the chance. "What are you doing?"

His lovely wife pulled back and frowned at him. "What do you _think_ I'm doing, Emmett?"

His grin was arrogant as he replied, "Seducing me, of course." Rosalie smiled wickedly and leaned towards him once more. He halted her with his hands on her shoulders. "What I want to know is why, love."

A frown marred Rosalie's features as she took a step back. "Are you telling me you don't want me right now? That the passionate speeches we heard tonight reminding us of what we stand to lose didn't make you want to be with me then and there?"

Emmett sighed, taking her hands in his. "If we had just come from there, then yeah, I would believe you meant that."

Rosalie hissed lightly at him, pulling her hands from his and crossing her arms over her chest. "I think you need to say what you mean."

"Rose, we had our own fun while Bella, Edward, Jacob, and Renesmee were out hunting, and that was great, don't get me wrong." Emmett almost grinned as a smug smile crossed Rosalie's features. "When they came back from hunting, we spent almost an hour with our niece, and I saw how it affected you."

The smile slipped slowly off of Rosalie's face as she scoffed, "Yes, I do believe I was there for that."

Emmett suppressed the urge to groan at his stubborn wife. "Look, all I'm saying is that being around Renesmee on Christmas Day had to make you think…." He let his words fall; they both knew exactly what Rosalie had been thinking.

"Made me think what, Emmett?" Rosalie said quietly after a moment of stretched silence. "About how much I wish we had children of our own? A strapping young boy, just as crazy about competition as you are? A little girl with gorgeous dark curls and a love for fast cars? How I wish more than anything that we had a child who was a part of each of us?"

Rosalie sank on to the edge of the bed and put her head in her hands. Emmett crossed the room immediately and sat beside her. "Rose, you know if I could… if there was any way…." He put his arm around her and pulled her closer to him. "I would do it in a heartbeat."

"I know," she said quietly as she wrapped her arms around his waist. Emmett lightly kissed the top of her head. "This time of year just makes it all worse, that's all."

Emmett said nothing, preferring instead to pretend he believed what she said. She wanted a child year-round… it had next to nothing to do with Christmas.

Rosalie shifted in his arms and placed her lips against his neck. "Thank you for being you," she whispered, sealing her words with a gentle kiss on his neck.

Emmett moved to look at her, smiling brightly before kissing her passionately. "You're welcome. I think I'm rather good at it," he added with a wink. Rosalie laughed and the sound made Emmett feel as though he had successfully completed the most difficult challenge ever imagined. Then again, when Rosalie was feeling upset about not being able to have children, it often seemed to be the biggest challenge he could ever face.

"I love you," Rosalie said, kissing him fiercely again.

"I love you, too," Emmett replied, burying his hands in her hair as he lost himself in what would not doubt prove to be a very long night spent in a _very_ good way.

_Earlier that night…_

Edward sat cross-legged on the floor of Carlisle's office, grinning at the sight before him. Rosalie had agreed to subject Emmett to a few rounds of 'horsey' for Renesmee's sake. Bella was enjoying it nearly as much as Edward was, but she didn't have the benefit of Emmett's thoughts to make the entire situation even more enjoyable.

"I wish Alice could see this," Edward joked for Emmett's sake. "I hate to think of Jasper missing out on this wonderful sight."

Emmett glared at him as he rounded the corner of the desk once more, Renesmee giggling on his back. _I hate you right now_, Emmett mentally hissed at Edward. Edward's only response was to grin.

Bella took his hand then, distracting him instantly. She twined her fingers through his and leaned into his side, resting her head close to his ear. "Do you think they're all right?"

Edward nodded in reply. "Yes, of course they are."

Renesmee placed her hand on Emmett's cheek, signaling that she was ready for him to stop, and he ceased moving immediately. _Thank God,_ he thought. Rosalie lifted Renesmee into her arms and Renesmee placed her hand to her aunt's cheek with excitement, giving Rosalie a play-by-play of what her uncle had been doing and adding that she wanted to do it again soon.

"Of course, Nessie," Rosalie cooed, hugging her niece tightly. "We can do it tomorrow again if you want." Renesmee smiled. Emmett groaned.

Rosalie set Renesmee down and she walked quickly over to where Bella and Edward sat, instantly climbing into her father's lap. She grinned up at him as she placed a hand on his face to show him what she had been doing for the past half an hour or so. Edward couldn't quite contain his laugh as the image of Emmett crawling around on his hands and knees was replayed for him.

Renesmee stifled a yawn and displayed for him a picture of her bed, complete with her favorite book. Edward nodded and stood immediately. "Nessie is tired," he announced to his wife and siblings. Keeping her hand to his face, Renesmee showed him how much she had enjoyed her time alone with just the five of them.

"We can have time alone tomorrow, too, Nessie." He promised his daughter as Bella lead the way downstairs.

The process of saying good night to everyone took far longer than perhaps necessary due to all of the guests, but Renesmee enjoyed herself immensely, so Edward found himself simply standing beside Bella near the door and waiting with a smile on his face as his daughter was passed from person to person, joyfully saying good night to each.

He did his best to ignore all of the jumbled thoughts in the room, and took the chance to steal a glance at Bella out of the corner of his eye. She looked so troubled and worried that his heart nearly broke with the want to cheer her up and make her world all right once more.

He continued to watch as she suddenly forced a smile on her face. Edward followed her gaze to see Jacob coming towards them, carrying a giggling Renesmee like a sack of wheat. Jacob stopped in front of Bella and handed her daughter to her. Renesmee threw her arms around her mother and nestled against her, warm and comforted better there than anywhere else.

"Let's get you home to bed," Bella said softly, wrapping her free arm around Renesmee's back. Renesmee closed her eyes, trusting her mother to take her home safely.

Everyone waved goodnight as we made our way out the door and across the stream, Edward and Bella leaping gracefully while Jacob swam across. He grumbled as he climbed onto the bank and shook himself dry.

"The resemblance is uncanny," Edward joked. Bella rolled her eyes.

Edward took Renesmee gently from Bella's arms then, and passed her carefully to Jacob before he could muster up a proper remark to Edward's joke. "Jacob, could you tuck Renesmee in, please? I need to talk to Bella."

Jacob's eyes widened, but he said and thought nothing. Instead, he shifted Renesmee to a more comfortable position and took off slowly through the woods to the cottage.

Edward waited until they were alone before turning back to his wife. She was staring up at him with a calm, expectant look on her face, but she also looked worried about something.

Edward stepped closer to her and frowned down at her, "Bella, what's wrong, love?"

"I'm just worried about the Volturi and Renesmee," she said quickly. She had never been a great liar, and Edward knew she was hiding something very significant from him.

"You know I am here to talk to whenever you feel the need to."

"I know," she replied smoothly. She smiled up at him and it was such a _true_ smile that he nearly lost his train of thought. "Merry Christmas, Edward."

"Merry Christmas, Bella," he replied, leaning down to kiss her softly. "'_Next year, all our troubles will be out of sight'_," he added absent-mindedly.

Bella took his hand in hers and began to tug him along towards their cottage. "Yeah, _if the Fates allow_."

Edward chuckled. "Leave it to you to quote the most pessimistic line of the carol."

They stopped just outside the front door to their cottage. Bella turned around and narrowed her eyes at him for his remark, but he merely reached around her and opened the door, pushing her gently through the doorway and into their warm cottage.

They peered in to Renesmee's room on the way to their own bedroom and saw that both Jacob and Renesmee had fallen asleep, though they hadn't arrived much later than them. Jacob was sitting sideways on the bed, his back to the wall, and the book open about halfway through. Renesmee was leaning against his side, smiling in her sleep.

Edward flicked off the light and then followed Bella to their bedroom. Bella sat down on the edge of the bed and looked out the window, her expression sad. "I don't mean to be so pessimistic, you know," she said quietly.

Edward leaned against the doorframe and smiled at her when she looked at him, trying to keep the mood light. "I know, love. You're terrified about the situation we're in, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't, also."

She closed her eyes and Edward took advantage of the moment to climb speedily onto the bed behind her. She had already opened her eyes at his initial movement, and she now settled herself against his chest, sighing lightly as he wrapped his arms around her.

He began to kiss her cheek before his lips slid lower and he kissed her neck tenderly. "'_Have yourself a merry little Christmas_'," she whispered to him.

Edward smiled against her neck before whispering beside her ear, "Trust me, I am." His voice nearly shivered with the promise of what was to come, earning a smile and a wink from his wife. Oh yes, a merry Christmas, indeed.


	2. The First Real Christmas

**A/N: So, here is my second chapter. While I like it, I'm not overly fond of it, but I think it's only because I am so excited for the next chapter. Chapter three is going to be awesome, so if you don't like this one, I urge you to keep reading. It gets way better, believe me. In other news – I have decided there are going to be seven chapters, each dealing with a Christmas with the last one taking place when Renesmee reaches maturity. I hope you all enjoy them and I would love to hear from you! Chapter three will be up this Saturday or Sunday.**

The First Real Christmas

At this moment in time, Edward Cullen knew that if a heart could swell with enough love to burst it, he was perilously close to approaching the limit. Was it possible to be _this _happy?

"Renesmee," Bella said once more, drawing Edward's attention. "Will you please put on the dress? Aunt Alice specifically bought it for you for today. It's your Christmas dress."

Edward watched as his five-year-old daughter looked mournfully at the beautiful, velvet, emerald green dress beside her. He could completely relate to being forced to wear whatever Alice subjected him to. Luckily for him, Alice rarely sought to attack him with clothes since he moved to the cottage.

Bella looked at Edward, widening her eyes in a 'help me' sort of way, but Edward only grinned and laughed. "I don't blame her in the least," he told Bella, earning a giggle from his daughter. "However, Renesmee, we're wearing _our_ Christmas outfits Alice bought for us."

Renesmee sighed audibly and promptly held out her hand to Bella, who sighed lightly as well, sitting on the bed beside her daughter. "Yes, Renesmee?"

Renesmee reached over and placed her hand on Bella's face. Edward saw in his mind's eye that she was showing Bella the outfit she _wanted_ to wear. Unable to resist giving Renesmee almost whatever she wanted, Bella conceded with a smile. As she stood to remove Renesmee's chosen outfit from her dresser, she whispered to Edward, "It will be worth it to see what Alice says."

"I don't think she'll be able to see this coming because of Renesmee," Edward agreed with a laugh.

When the three were dressed in their finest Christmas outfits, they wrapped themselves in their jackets – purely for show, of course – and headed out at a run towards the Cullen household. There were human guests attending, and no human would be crazy enough to go outside without a thick coat in this weather. They left them unbuttoned, however, as they headed out.

The moment their feet touched the Cullen yard, Alice was outside, a grin plastered on her face. "Merry Christmas!" she chanted, grinning eagerly. As Edward took in his sister's appearance, he decided there was no one on earth who could _possibly_ outdo Alice as far as Christmas went. She was dressed to the nines in very coordinated red and green, looking as remarkably fashionable as she always did.

"Merry Christmas," they replied.

"Alice, you look like a Christmas tree," Edward pointed out teasingly.

Alice flitted happily towards them, sticking her tongue out at Edward as she did so. She hesitated as she reached to take her niece from Edward's arms. "Nessie," she said softly. "What _has_ your mother dressed you in?"

Bella frowned at Alice. "She chose it, not me."

Renesmee placed her hand against Alice's cheek just as Jasper came outside, a smile on his face. "We were wondering if you were ever planning on coming inside," he joked.

Edward was busy watching Renesmee's thoughts and let Bella explain what the hold up was as Jasper joined the small group. Renesmee was hurriedly telling Alice about how she changed her mind, wanting to wear her favorite dark blue dress, instead. She was also worried that Alice was upset, and wanted to know how she could make it better.

Alice smiled at her niece and hugged her tightly, planting a kiss on her cheek. "Don't be silly, Nessie. I could never be mad at you. It's a lovely dress and you look beautiful in it!" Almost as an after-thought, she added, "Besides, you already have a fabulous fashion sense." Bella rolled her eyes.

Renesmee smiled at Alice, but then her expression grew sad and she placed her hand on Alice's cheek once more. Alice's face fell and from her change in emotions, Jasper suddenly looked as though he had to face an entire newborn army singlehandedly, though he did not yet know the reason why. Renesmee was asking Alice why she and Jasper were not here last year for Christmas, and telling her how sad she was about their absence.

"Oh, Nessie," Alice whispered.

"What's wrong?" Jasper asked, putting his hand on Alice's shoulder. Bella looked at Edward expectantly, but he shook his head once, preferring to hear how this played out.

Renesmee reached for Jasper and Alice quickly passed Renesmee to him. She put her hand to his neck and played for him the exact images she had just played for Alice. Jasper grimaced, feeling as though he had let his only niece down.

"I'm sorry we weren't here," he whispered.

Bella caught on then, too, and turned back to face Renesmee. "Renesmee, you remember what happened. They had to leave to help us."

Edward watched as his daughter nodded mournfully before displaying for Jasper evidence of just how much she had missed her aunt and uncle. Jasper hugged his niece tightly. "We missed you, too. Very much."

"We're here this year, Nessie." Alice cut in, trying to lighten the mood. Edward assumed she would soon have a meltdown if her Christmas did not go off perfectly. "I promise to make it up to you."

Renesmee smiled warmly at her aunt as everyone turned and made their way collectively inside the Cullen house, the moods lightened after the emotionally charged moments from before.

Renesmee was content to hold tight to her Uncle Jasper until she was inside and her eyes fell on Carlisle. She reached as eagerly for her grandfather as he was reaching for her, a welcoming smile warming his features.

Edward and Bella said hello to everyone at large, admiring Alice's Christmas decorations. Alice had wanted it to be as dramatic as possible, and as a result had quickly decorated on Christmas Eve after Edward, Bella, and Renesmee had left for the night. Edward scoffed, knowing that Alice had most likely discouraged Jasper from any sort of romantic meetings until after she had finished decorating.

"Where's the dog?" Rosalie asked with a slight grin. The grin was no doubt due to his absence.

"Jacob is with his father right now," Bella informed Rosalie.

"Finally. It's nice to not have him under foot for awhile."

"Be nice, Rosalie," Alice told her with a smile. "He is part of our company tonight."

Rosalie's grin was replaced by a frown.

"Should we prepare the food platters, now?" Esme asked, entering the room from the kitchen.

"Actually," Alice chirped happily. "I was hoping Edward and Bella wouldn't mind that chore, seeing as they are the best chefs in the house, and they both know how much it would mean to me."

Edward had already heard her thoughts and was headed into the kitchen, mumbling under his breath. Bella rolled her eyes after Alice finished her explanation and let out a loud, deliberate sigh, "Yes, Alice, we will cook."

"Good," she replied with a smile. "I knew you would."

Bella blew a kiss to her daughter as she left the room, following Edward into the kitchen. He was washing his hands in preparation for preparing a fruit platter. Bella couldn't help but smile over the fact. "What exactly are we making?"

"With Alice, one never knows," he replied with a chuckle.

Bella laughed as she, too, washed her hands, and then leaned against the counter, watching as Edward quickly chopped bananas at a fast pace, grinning lightly at Bella as he did so. "You aren't going to help?"

"Well, you were doing such a wonderful job," she teased, grabbing a nearby knife and the strawberries Esme had set out on the counter. Emmett entered the kitchen then, grinning wickedly.

"See, Edward, this is what happens when you spend your nights _not _having sex. Alice assigns you to kitchen duty."

"Emmett," Edward said coolly as he reached for the apples, having finished with the bananas, "I am holding a knife. Don't test me." Bella laughed, but no doubt had she still been a human she would have been blushing uncontrollably.

"You're no fun," Emmett said as he rolled his eyes. He winked at Bella and left the kitchen, making his way back into the living room. Alice was allowing Renesmee to help decorate more of the Christmas tree. Emmett wondered if she was going to rearrange the ornaments afterwards when Renesmee wasn't around. It wouldn't be the first time Alice had redone something someone else had decorated.

Esme was humming Christmas carols as she and Carlisle organized the presents. "When is present time, Alice?" Carlisle asked, pulling presents closer to the front.

Alice glanced briefly at the clock on the wall. "In approximately three minutes," she replied. Carlisle tried not to chuckle at Alice's precise, pin-pointed time frame. He would not dare vary from her very organized schedule.

"This feels like a real Christmas," Esme said softly, smiling at Renesmee. "It's perfect. Our family is finally complete and safe."

Carlisle walked closer to Esme, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, sharing a gentle look with her. "Yes, we are."

Edward and Bella entered the room then, just as Alice and Renesmee finished the tree. Alice passed Renesmee to Bella before turning excitedly to everyone in the room. "Present time, everyone!" Her eyes drifted over each of the Cullens, finally coming to rest on Jasper, as she said joyfully, "Okay, who is going to wear the Santa Hat?"

** **

The weather, while rainy and cold, unfortunately did not give way to snow, crushing both Renesmee's and Alice's visions of the perfect snowy day Christmas. Alice had quickly moved on from that fact, focusing on preparing the absolute best night for their guests.

Everyone was pitching in to help, though there really was not much left to do. Esme and Carlisle were cleaning up the mess left by the massive tornado of opening presents in the Cullen house with a young child and an eternally child-like grown man. Edward was assembling one of Renesmee's new toys for her to play with while Jasper set up the table for all the food to be laid out on. Bella was bringing the fruit platter and the meat and cheese platter out to the living room, setting them carefully on the table. Alice was flitting around to each area, supervising, and reprimanding where she felt she needed to. She was especially sure to rebuke Emmett and Rosalie for slipping upstairs to test one of their more private gifts to one another.

At precisely six-thirty, all ears caught the noise of car tires in the drive. Alice frowned. "Four of them?"

Rosalie's eyes narrowed, "How many people did you invite, Alice?"

"Well, Jacob, Seth, and Leah, of course, along with the rest of the pack who turned down the invitation. I also invited Charlie for Bella and Renesmee, and inviting him of course means inviting Sue and Billy."

"They're all here," Edward interjected. "Seth and Jacob ran here to leave room in the cruiser."

"They don't plan on showing up naked to dinner, do they?" Bella asked, seeming to think this was a possibility.

Edward shook his head, "No. Jacob and Seth left tuxes here last week. If you'll all excuse me for a moment." He disappeared upstairs as a knock sounded on the door.

Since Emmett was closest to the door, he pulled it open, grinning widely. "Merry Christmas!"

Sue and Leah stood on the step, both as close to smiling as they could be, "Merry Christmas." Emmett stepped back to let them in, then kept the door open for Edward as he passed quickly through the door carrying the tuxes. He nodded to Billy and Charlie as the latter wheeled the former in through the door.

Greetings were exchanged, and the tension was almost palpable in the room. Jasper sent a calming wave out over everyone and with a soft sigh of relief, people began to mingle. Though Billy and Sue had spent a large amount of time around Bella, Edward, and Renesmee at Charlie's, they both seemed nervous to be surrounded by so many vampires at once.

Their sons shared no such qualms. Jacob went immediately to Renesmee – currently cuddling up to her Grandpa Charlie – to say hello. Seth, also eager to see all of his favorite vampires again, was walking throughout the room saying personal hellos. Not even Rosalie could sour his cheery disposition.

"It's cold out," Charlie commented, glancing over Renesmee's shoulder to see outside. He turned back to Bella. "Is my granddaughter bundled warmly enough for winter?"

"Yes, Dad," Bella replied wearily. Charlie was almost obsessed with making sure his only granddaughter was taken care of properly. He smiled sheepishly at Bella.

"There are snacks on the table for everyone," Alice chimed in with a welcoming grin. "Feel free to help yourself."

"Maybe in awhile," Sue said with a smile at Alice. There were few people who didn't like Alice, and Sue was not one of them. "We just finished our dinner."

"So did we." Emmett joked. Seth laughed, but he was the only one. Carlisle gave Emmett a quick look of warning, and Emmett quieted down. The awkwardness returned, and again Jasper calmed the room down.

Renesmee squirmed in Charlie's arms, then, and reached for Jake. He took her with a loving smile and stood quietly as she leaned towards his ear. She still preferred her silent means of communication, and put her hand on Jacob's neck, though to the humans it looked as though she was whispering in his ear.

Edward began to laugh, trying his best to control it, as Jacob looked at Renesmee, flabbergasted. "You want me to do what?"

Renesmee smiled, keeping her hand on his neck, no doubt asking him again.

"What does she want you to do?" Bella asked.

Jacob looked at her with widened eyes. "She wants me to sing Christmas carols."

"_Since we've no place to go_," Edward said, happily taking his place at the piano.

"I wish it would snow," Alice pouted, already having taken her place beside the piano.

"Why would you want snow?" Leah asked, speaking up. "It's cold and wet and miserable." Though none of that truly bothered her because of her body temperature, she faked it for Charlie's sake.

"It makes everything lovely," Alice returned. She slipped her hand into Jasper's and smiled warmly at him. Everyone was suddenly overcome with a loving, united feeling.

"Watch it, Jasper," Rosalie hissed at vampire speed, though her tone was rather cheery. The feelings dissipated and Edward began to move his hands along the keys.

Emmett was the first to pick up the carol's lyrics, belting out, "_Jingle bells! Jingle bells!_" From there, others joined in until a full chorus of voices could be heard.

Renesmee frowned at Jacob until he sighed wearily and joined in the song. The carols helped to remove any remaining tension between the Cullens and their guests. Billy and Sue in particular looked more comfortable than ever around the vampires. Perhaps they realized they were not going to become an unwilling snack anytime soon.

One carol gave way to the next, until eventually an hour had passed and they were singing _Silver Bells_ for the second time. Alice paused halfway through singing the word Christmas and let out a human-like gasp. "It's snowing!"

She scooped Renesmee from Jacob's arms and took her niece to the window. Edward scoffed, continuing to play, but glancing at Alice. "Alice, there are about three flakes of snow."

Bella elbowed him sharply in the back while the others were preoccupied with the snow. "Don't ruin it for them," she scolded lightly. Edward turned farther on his seat to smile at her.

"Sorry, love." He winked and Bella grinned, a feeling of overwhelming love filling her heart again. Jasper groaned.

"You don't like the snow?" Charlie asked.

Trying to cover his reaction, Jasper shook his head, "No. I was in a bad snowmobile accident one year and haven't recovered fully from it."

"Did you hit your head?" Rosalie asked politely.

Jasper ignored her as Charlie said, "Sorry to hear that."

"It's all right. I have a whole bunch of scars from it, but it was so long ago."

"Isn't this the perfect Christmas weather?" Alice announced, drawing attention away from her husband. The snow she was so happy about was melting almost before it touched the ground.

"Yes, Alice," they replied to placate her. Renesmee was staring at it in awe, though it was not the first snowfall she'd ever seen.

As they all stood together, no one wanting to leave to go out into the cold night, Carlisle looked at his wife and smiled. "You're right, Esme. This is the most perfect Christmas yet."


	3. Little Saint Emmett

A/N: This chapter is perhaps my favorite thing of anything I've ever written, largely in part because it is so different. I've always included humor in my stories, but never to such a large degree as it is seen in this chapter. I hope everyone gets as much of a kick out of it as I did while writing it! This chapter was inspired by the Christmas Carol 'I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus'. All characters are Meyer's, I'm just having fun borrowing them. 'Anyhoo', without further ado, here is the third installment in my Christmas chapters.

** **

This is dedicated in two parts: first to Leah, who loved this chapter from the very first second; second to DisneyVampire, for her wonderful message, her own Christmas spirit, and the rekindling of her memories of a family Christmas. This chapter is for both of you.

** **

Little Saint Emmett

Not that the Cullens ever slept, but night was considered the down time for them. Normally, they each had their own private nights and those nights only ended when each couple said they did. Apparently that was no longer taboo when Alice Cullen wanted to put her Christmas plans into action.

She burst into Emmett and Rosalie's room an hour before dawn on Christmas morning and grinned at them. "Alice!" Rosalie chastised.

"Don't worry – I knew you two wouldn't be in the middle of anything. No harm done." She replied.

"For crying out loud!" Rosalie hissed. "We can help you when we're ready to."

Alice frowned at her sister before turning her eyes on Emmett. "I need your help especially today." From the gleam in her eyes, Emmett knew he was in trouble.

"What is it?" Emmett asked, sitting up straighter on the bed and squaring his shoulders in preparation for her attack.

Rosalie rolled her eyes, crossing her arms in front of her. Emmett grinned apologetically at her.

"Well, for years I have wanted to put this plan to action, and I have finally managed to collect the coveted suit," Alice explained happily.

Emmett frowned, clearly missing the whole point. Rosalie, on the other hand, burst out laughing. "Alice, you can't be serious."

"I most certainly am," she countered. "I think Emmett will make a wonderful Santa Claus."

"What?" Emmett said quickly, finally catching on to what Alice wanted him to do. "Alice, no."

"Emmett, yes," she said with a smile. "You're going to love it."

Rosalie, having decided that the humor in seeing Emmett in a Santa suit far outweighed her disappointment at the abrupt end to their time alone, leaned closer to him and began to kiss his cheek. "Emmett, it _would_ be very nice to see you as Santa."

Emmett's attention was totally focused on his wife now as she kissed him long and slow. "Would you do this?" She continued in a sultry voice. "For me?"

"Yes," Emmett agreed instantly.

"Perfect," Alice chimed in. "I'll see you both downstairs in ten minutes." After she turned and left the room, shutting the door behind her, Emmett looked at his wife again.

"Are you trying to tell me you have a thing for old, fat, happy men who enjoy the color red far too much?" Emmett asked with a smile.

Rosalie laughed, sliding slowly on to his lap and kissing him again. "Not at all," she purred. "I have a thing for seeing you dressed up. I love a man in a uniform, even if he does have a white beard."

It was Emmett's turn to chuckle as he pulled Rosalie towards him, twirling a strand of her hair around his finger. "You know, Mrs. Claus," he said slowly, "she did say we had ten minutes."

Rosalie couldn't help her grin as she leaned in to kiss her husband again. Oh yes, this day would be fantastic.

** **

By the time Rosalie and Emmett made their way downstairs, Alice was frowning at them, but they weren't about to apologize. For one, she had definitely been able to see that they were going to be late getting downstairs. Two, it would be a lie to apologize when neither of them meant it.

"All right, Emmett," Alice said, clasping her hands together in front of her. Jasper was standing next to Alice, his face lit up with eager anticipation. "Your suit is in Carlisle's office. You need to be dressed before Renesmee arrives."

"What are you going to say about where I am?" he asked.

Alice shrugged. "We'll think of something," she promised.

"Does she even believe in Santa Claus?" Emmett asked, gritting his teeth.

"Of course she does," Rosalie said quickly, her own excitement increasing.

Jasper couldn't contain his chuckles as Emmett groaned and walked into the office. After closing the door behind him, Emmett turned his gaze to the suit laid out on the desk and chair. He could not recall from his own human memories if anyone in his family had ever dressed as Santa, and realized as he studied the suit that this might actually be fun.

On the other side of the door, Rosalie, Alice, and Jasper had moved to the living room to join Carlisle and Esme. Esme had put on a CD of Christmas carols and Carlisle had set out a few gifts. The rest were inside a burgundy satin-lined bag waiting for Saint Emmett to hand them out.

"Does he know you've planned for him to come down the chimney?" Carlisle asked, his gaze settling on Alice.

She frowned thoughtfully. "I guess I should have told him that."

"I'll tell him," Rosalie offered.

"No way," Alice replied quickly. "_I'll _go tell him. I have to also ensure he knows that Renesmee is _not_ supposed to see him until he comes down the chimney."

Jasper could not control his fits of laughter now. "I hope he gets stuck," he said with a grin, knowing full-well that the possibility was slim to none.

Alice disappeared from the room, throwing her love a warm smile as she made her way out to Carlisle's office. The rest turned to the back of the house in time to see the remaining Cullens and Jacob arrive on the other side of the stream. Christmas-time was here for sure, now.

They entered the house quickly and wished everyone a merry Christmas. Alice entered the room and clapped her hands together in excitement. "Nessie! You're wearing the dress."

"It's beautiful, Aunt Alice," the youngest Cullen said as she held her skirt out to the side. "I love this dress."

"I knew you would," Alice replied with a smile. "Your mother on the other hand…."

"Alice, again?" Bella asked with a loud sigh.

"It was worth a try."

Edward took pity on his poor wife and led her to the couch. Everyone else found places to sit and then looked at each other, waiting to hear what was next on Alice's agenda. Rosalie's eyes darted every few seconds to the chimney, and when Edward heard her thoughts, he burst out laughing.

"Don't have a mental breakdown, Edward," Jacob warned with a laugh.

As Edward opened his mouth to respond, he was interrupted by loud, over-exaggerated footsteps on the roof. Renesmee's eyes were drawn up to the ceiling just as everyone else's was. "_What _is that noise?" Alice gasped.

Renesmee, sitting on the couch between her parents, slipped her hand into her father's as a few grumbles carried down the chimney. "Who is it?" she whispered.

"I think it may be Santa Claus," Bella whispered to her daughter. She had pushed her shield out to encompass Edward to discover what was going on. When she had thought _Is Emmett dressed as Santa?_ Edward had nodded, unable to keep the smile from his face.

Everyone was looking absolutely exhilarated to see Emmett, each looking at the fireplace in anticipation. "Should we light a fire?" Edward joked in a low voice.

Esme glared at him.

"It was a joke, Mom," he said instantly, holding up his free hand in a symbol of his apology. Though Esme had not enjoyed Edward's joke, it had only served to make Jasper laugh harder. He hadn't been this hysterical in a very long time, and a bubbly sensation washed over them all.

With a slight shout, Emmett announced his entrance down the chimney, landing perfectly at the bottom. Rosalie was perhaps the most eager of all, leaning forward in her chair to see her strapping husband fitted into a beard and big black boots.

Emmett ducked his head and stepped out of the fireplace. "Ho ho ho!" he said quickly. He stopped after that, clearly at a loss as to what to do next. His family was having difficulty not laughing directly at him. Alice had apparently added pillows underneath his shirt to make him have his belly that would shake like a bowl full of jelly. Jasper stood up quickly and left the room, absolutely shaking with the effort to keep his laughs silent.

Emmett's eyes fell upon Renesmee and he walked over to her, grinning down at his niece. "Hello, Renesmee!"

To everyone's – but mostly Alice's – delight, Renesmee's eyes widened as she looked up Emmett standing before her and her expression remained one of awe. In her quiet, nine-year-old voice she said, "Santa?"

"Yes, Renesmee!" He smiled at his niece. "I've come with presents for you!"

Everyone looked at Emmett's hands to see they were both empty. Emmett appeared at just as much of a loss.

"Uh, Santa?" Bella said quickly. "Did you forget your present bag up on the roof with your sleigh?"

"Damn it!" Emmett hissed under his breath. Bella narrowed her eyes at him.

"Daddy," Renesmee said in a low voice to Edward. "Did Santa just swear?"

Carlisle put his head in his hands the quickly dissolving situation. Edward was barely able to contain his laughter as he replied to Renesmee, "Yes, sweetheart."

"I'll put myself on the Naughty List," Emmett cut in, imitating the generic Santa-tone. "It's not a good place to be, so I don't want you to ever end up there. Will you promise?"

Renesmee nodded eagerly as Jacob snorted. Alice glared at him to silence him before looking back at Emmett. "Santa, your presents?"

Emmett glared briefly at his sister, whom he blamed all of this on, before saying, "I'll return in a moment! I'm going to use the front door, though."

As Emmett left the house, Jasper returned. "Santa forgot his bag of toys?"

Alice nodded as she stood up from her armchair so that Jasper could sit down. Once he had, she sat down on his lap and took his hand in hers. "Yes, even though Santa was told beforehand, he still forgot the toys."

"Are you enjoying having Santa here so far, Renesmee?" Rosalie cut in, shooting Alice a 'look'.

Renesmee looked at a loss for words as Jacob said, "Of course she is. So far he's stomped all over the roof, forgot the presents, and swore. What's not to love?"

Emmett came back in, then, carrying the bag over his shoulder. He set the bag down in the middle of the room. "Ho ho ho!" He called out again. "Are you excited for your presents?"

As Renesmee nodded eagerly, Esme said, "Santa, aren't you supposed to have her sit on your lap and ask her what she wants first?" Renesmee looked positively thrilled at the idea. Alice grinned at Esme in thanks.

"Santa will need a chair," Emmett replied, staring at Alice and Jasper. The pair sighed and Alice rolled her eyes as they stood up and moved to stand near the fireplace. Emmett sat down, noticed he was directly across from Rosalie, and winked at her before turning back to his niece. "Come on over here, and hop up on my lap!"

Renesmee nearly ran to Emmett and hopped up on his lap. Once she had, she gave him a hug. "See? I told you this was a great idea," Alice whispered hastily to Jasper.

"No argument here," Jasper returned.

"Well, Renesmee, have you been a good girl this year?"

"I've tried," Renesmee said quietly.

"What do you mean?" Emmett asked.

Renesmee looked worried. "Do I have to say?"

"Not if you don't want to," Emmett replied, not really knowing what to do. Everyone was looking at Renesmee with a concerned expression.

"But how will you know if I'm naughty or nice?"

"Santa knows everything."

"Except that you're supposed to bring toys the first time around," Edward interjected. Emmett glared at him, sending a silent threat his way.

"_Anyway_," Emmett continued. "Renesmee, you are the sweetest most loving little girl ever and you are at the top of the nice list. Nothing you could do would put you on the naughty list."

Renesmee still looked unsure, and just as Emmett opened his mouth to continue, she blurted out, "But I accidentally ruined one of Aunt Rosalie's shoes, and I wanted to tell Mama right away, but she wasn't there, so I told Aunt Alice. Aunt Alice helped me hide them and told me she'd keep it from Aunt Rosalie."

Rosalie looked at Alice curiously. Alice didn't look the slightest bit sheepish. "Rose, do you even know which pair it is?" After Rosalie shook her head, complete with a murderous glare at Alice, Alice continued, "Renesmee, don't worry. If anything, I'm on the naughty list."

Renesmee grinned to show her relief at the same time as Emmett said, "Rosalie is on the naughty list, too."

Renesmee turned to look at him, "Why is Aunt Rosalie on–?"

"Present time!" Bella interrupted in a yell. Jasper had to leave the room again.

Carlisle leaned towards his wife, "Is this how you thought it would be?"

"Well, it _is _Emmett," she whispered back, making sure Renesmee didn't overhear.

Bella was staring at Emmett as though she were plotting his death. Emmett glanced around the room, clearly flustered at being Santa. His eyes settled once more on Rosalie, who could not seem to wipe the grin off her face that being placed on the naughty list had given her. "I'll need an elf to help with the presents," Emmett said. "How about Aunt Rosalie?"

Rosalie sprung up off her chair as though it had electrocuted her. "Anything to help Santa," she agreed, the double-entendre very apparent in her voice. Edward groaned and placed his head in his hands.

Emmett grinned widely. "Just open up my pack and search around for Renesmee's present."

"Presents, isn't it?" Alice couldn't help but correct.

"Well," Emmett started as Rosalie opened the pack. "Aunt Alice just seems to know everything, doesn't she?"

In total, Rosalie pulled out five presents for Renesmee. It was Emmett's turn to fake the over-exaggerated gasp at the sight of the presents. Renesmee's eyes were glistening. "Why don't you sit near your parents and open your presents, Renesmee?"

She nodded quickly and hopped off his lap, hardly sparing a glance at him as she ran back to the couch. She reclaimed her seat in between her parents as Rosalie set the stack of presents in front of her on the floor. Renesmee grinned at her as she tore into the first one.

"Hey Elf," Emmett called out in a low voice. As Rosalie turned to face him, he patted his lap. Rosalie didn't waste any time as she sat on his lap and Emmett wrapped his arms around his lovely wife, ignoring the glare Edward shot him for his thoughts.

Emmett, so caught up in his wife, did not notice Edward's glare or Alice's frown. To Rosalie, he said quietly, "Oh yeah, you've been _very_ naughty."

Rosalie leaned closer to him, her lips an inch from his. "What have I done, Santa?"

Emmett's eyes were on Rosalie's lips as he said, "Mmm you're just so good." With that, he kissed her, a long, drawn-out affair. If Alice's heart could beat, she would be having heart palpitations right now. She didn't dare draw attention to them, though – Renesmee had yet to notice, and that would be all they would need.

Bella, upon noticing Emmett and Rosalie had instantly spread her shield to cover them to spare Edward from hearing their thoughts. He smiled at her in utmost gratitude before turning back to Renesmee. She was on her last present that Santa had given her, and both of her parents were hoping she would not notice the steamy kiss that was Rosalie and Emmett.

No such luck. As she finished ripping open the wrapping paper and pulled the box towards her, her eyes happened to drift farther up. No one – aside from Rosalie and Emmett, who were still going at it – moved as they watched Renesmee register what her aunt was doing to Santa.

She turned to Bella and reached a hand quickly up to Bella's neck, telling Bella without words that Aunt Rosalie was kissing Santa Claus. Bella groaned and nodded at Renesmee, her voice overly loud as she said, "_Yes,_ Renesmee, Aunt Rosalie _is_ kissing Santa Claus."

As their audience began to register with them, Rosalie slightly pulled back. Alice took her cue and hissed, "Santa!" trying to keep Emmett on track. Leave it to Rosalie to make him totally forget that he was supposed to be playing the real version of an imaginary childhood icon.

As everyone struggled for something to say to rectify the situation, Jasper felt no such qualms. With a grin on his face, he said to Renesmee, "Aunt Rosalie was sitting on his lap so that he could give her gift to her."

"Was her gift a kiss?" Renesmee asked, looking doubtfully at Emmett.

"Yes, exactly," Alice piped in, worried for what Emmett would say.

Emmett suddenly grinned wickedly, and Edward, who was no longer guarded by Bella's shield, whipped his head around to stare at Emmett. He looked torn between laughter and worry.

In a booming voice, Emmett said, "Yes, Aunt Rosalie was being given her gift. And you have to sit on Santa's lap for that. In _fact_," he drawled, looking more excited than anyone had a right to, "_everyone_ has to sit on my lap to receive their gifts."

"I would like to decline my present," Jacob said immediately.

"You aren't first on my list," Emmett promised. His gaze swiveled around to Jasper. "Uncle Jasper! You can come right over here and sit on my lap." In the quick vampire undertone that Jacob and Renesmee couldn't hear, he added, "You think you can laugh at me and get away with it? It's payback time."

Jasper glared at him, but kept his emotions to himself. "No thank you. I, too, would like to decline my present."

Renesmee looked crestfallen that two of her men were defying Santa. Jasper made the mistake of looking at his niece and nearly cringed. "Uncle Jasper," she said, her voice sounding tiny. "Don't you like Santa?"

Jasper resisted the urge to punch the now-laughing Emmett as he said, "Of course I do, Nessie."

She grinned an impish grin that she could only have learned from Alice. "Then I think you should accept your gift."

Jasper's hands were bawled into fists as Emmett finally managed to control his laughter. Just as he had for Rosalie, Emmett patted his lap with a grin, though this grin included _nothing_ sexual.

Edward, listening to Jasper's thoughts, knew he would give in far longer before Jasper would. There were only two people in the world Jasper would even consider doing this for, and they were both staring at him now, willing him silently to go sit on Santa's knee. Alice was looking at him with a knowing smile; no doubt she had seen this. Renesmee was looking at Jasper with so much hope in her eyes that it was a wonder they weren't always doing what she wanted.

Jasper groaned and walked slowly towards Emmett. Emmett was grinning like a kid in a candy store. When Jasper reached him, he sat down quickly. Emmett pushed him a little closer to his knees with a groan, "Not too close, Jasper. We wouldn't want to damage anything."

"Oh, we wouldn't?" Jasper asked coolly.

"Ho ho ho!" Emmett called out again. "Merry Christmas, Jasper."

"Merry Christmas, _Santa_," Jasper returned curtly.

Emmett took it all in stride, ignoring the tone of Jasper's comment. "Have you been naughty or nice this year?"

"Extremely nice," Jasper replied immediately.

"I think you maybe influenced some emotions that you shouldn't have," Emmett chided.

Jasper's eyes widened as he looked at him incredulously, "What?"

At that moment a bright flash went off. Everyone's eyes turned to Alice as she set the camera back in its hidden place on the fireplace mantle. She shrugged at Jasper, "There's no need to look so terrified at the thought of sitting on Santa's knee."

Jasper narrowed his eyes at her betrayal, as he said tersely, "I'm not terrified."

Renesmee cut in, at the same time, "What is Uncle Jasper's present?"

Edward was still chuckling away on the couch at the fact that Alice had seen this moment coming and had prepared for it by hiding a camera nearby. When he finally managed to compose himself, he asked Renesmee, "What do you think Uncle Jasper should get? A lump of coal?"

Emmett laughed as Jasper turned his glare to Edward. If Jasper wasn't careful, he was going to develop a permanent glare. "I like that idea," Emmett murmured.

Renesmee stared at Santa, incredulous. "Santa, you would give out coal?"

"He's been naughty," Emmett pointed out.

Renesmee frowned, something not working out in her mind. "Aunt Rosalie was naughty…. You gave her a kiss."

Everyone burst out laughing aside from Jasper. "I am _not_ letting you kiss me." He snapped at a laughing Emmett. No doubt, had it been Edward in Jasper's situation, he would have found the entire situation absolutely hilarious.

"I don't want to kiss you either," Emmett reassured him.

"Everyone has a specific punishment designed for them in relation to their naughty behavior," Rosalie explained hastily.

"What did you do to get your present then, Rosalie?" Edward couldn't resist asking. She hissed at him.

Edward turned then to speak with Carlisle, forgetting that Rosalie still had the pack of presents open. Keeping her thoughts hidden, she found Edward's and sent it flying against the back of his head.

He turned his head to look at her, his mouth open with shock as he picked up his present. It was now half the size it used to be. "What was that?" he spat.

"I was giving you your present," Rosalie explained, crossing her arms in front of her. It was now Jacob who was laughing almost uncontrollably. That is, until Rosalie turned her frosty stare on him.

He held up his hands, "I'll stop, I'll stop," he promised.

"We actually have a special gift for you, Jacob." She motioned to Carlisle to pull the largest box from under the tree. Jacob looked both concerned and curious.

"Rosalie, you could have picked a better color, by the way," Alice said, sounding dejected about his present.

"I thought he would relate most to it," Rosalie explained as Jacob began to rip the paper. "It's still a great color."

"I don't think he'll see it that way," Edward pointed out with a slight chuckle. He had seen through Rosalie's thoughts what the present was.

As Jacob opened the box, standing up to do so, he pulled a large, fluffy, blood-red dog bed from it. His eyes flickered up to Rosalie's.

"It would go so well with your dog dish if you hadn't ruined it," Rosalie said, sounding disappointed.

"I can think of some other things I would like to ruin," Jacob said tersely. Renesmee, on the other hand, had jumped up and walked over to stand near Jacob to get a better look.

"Jake, it's pretty," she murmured.

"I don't like the color," he muttered.

"It will help remind you of whose house you've occupied," Rosalie nearly hissed.

"That is enough, everyone," Carlisle interjected lightly. He was now rubbing his forehead.

Everyone was silent for a few seconds before Jasper said loudly, "Why am I _still_ sitting on your lap?" He jumped up, glaring at Emmett as though it was his fault before frowning at Alice, who was laughing at her flustered husband.

"Maybe you're just upset because you enjoyed it," Emmett offered with a barking laugh.

"Hey Nessie," Jasper said suddenly, trying to retaliate. "Where's Uncle Emmett?"

Emmett's grin disappeared as Renesmee looked around, frowning. She felt guilty that she had been so excited about seeing Santa she had forgotten to ask where her uncle was.

"He's out hunting," Alice supplied, throwing daggers out her eyes at Jasper.

"He's been gone awhile," Jacob added.

"He's probably finding it tough to take down a deer," Edward agreed.

Emmett jumped to his feet. "It's time for Santa to go now, Renesmee. I have a whole bunch of other _children_ I need to speak to."

Renesmee stood up and hugged Emmett. "Thank you, Santa. I promise if I ever ruin something of Aunt Rosalie's again, I'll tell her immediately."

"Ho ho ho and a merry Christmas to all!" Emmett attempted. Renesmee smiled and waved farewell as the other Cullens grinned. All in all it had been a very exhilarating morning.

Everyone began to bustle around then, opening gifts as they waited for Emmett's return. When Edward started laughing for no reason and turned to look at the front door, everyone knew Emmett was about to walk in.

They all looked up expectantly as Emmett walked through the door. His clothes were ruffled and dirty and all in all it looked as though he had gone and rolled around in the mud. Rosalie stared at him in shock, "What have you done to yourself?"

Alice, who could only be described as hyperventilating, was staring at Emmett's outfit, noting each small rip with a critical eye. "Yes, Emmett. What _have _you done?"

"Were the deer too much for you?" Jasper asked sweetly, keeping his laughter to a minimum.

Emmett scoffed, "Deer? I was wrestling grizzlies all day."

"Oh lord," Alice muttered.

"Uncle Emmett," Renesmee called out. Emmett turned in time for her to throw herself into his arms.

"Nessie, your dress!" Alice all but shrieked.

"Alice, the dress is replaceable," Bella pointed out.

Alice nodded slowly, an idea forming. "You're right, Bella. We'll just have to go shopping. It's just perfect timing that Boxing Day is tomorrow, isn't it?"

"Remarkable," Bella agreed sourly, no doubt wishing she had not brought it up in the first place. Edward patted her shoulder reassuringly.

"Uncle Emmett," Renesmee said, demanding attention then. "You missed Santa Claus!"

"I did?" Emmett asked, his voice coming out overly surprised.

Renesmee nodded. "Yes, and he gave me five presents." Emmett glanced over to the couch when she gestured to them.

"Well, they're lovely," he agreed.

"I know," she grinned. Alice and Esme beamed in the background.

"What else happened?" Emmett asked, wanting to hear the events from her view.

"Santa made me sit on his knee, and I had to tell him what I did to make me naughty, but he said that it was okay and that I was on the nice list anyway. Santa wanted everyone to sit on his lap."

"Did Jasper sit on Santa's knee?" Emmett asked, smirking.

Renesmee giggled as she nodded.

"How silly did he look?" Emmett asked. Jasper leaned over and casually whacked the back of Emmett's head.

Renesmee's giggle was proof that she didn't want to answer the question. "You'll get to see it though because Aunt Alice took a picture."

"We'll have it blown up and framed," Emmett promised her. Jasper rolled his eyes.

"Uncle Emmett, you missed one more thing."

Emmett frowned, feigning curiosity. "What is that?"

"Well," Renesmee fidgeted, clasping and unclasping her hands, "Jasper wasn't the only other one Santa put on the naughty list."

"Who else made the naughty list?"

"Aunt Alice did, but Santa left before she could get her punishment."

"How convenient," Jasper muttered. Alice winked at him.

"And…." Renesmee hesitated then, glancing at Rosalie quickly. "I don't want you to get mad, and I know you might want to hit Santa, but you can't, all right?"

Emmett tried very hard to contain his laughter. "I promise I'll do my best."

"Aunt Rosalie was also naughty this year and she had the worst punishment of all."

Emmett's frown was genuine. Edward was already laughing from the direction his daughter's thoughts were taking, and Jasper and Jacob, each having caught on to what she meant as well, roared in their laughter. "What was her punishment?" Emmett asked through slightly gritted teeth.

Renesmee blushed as she said, "Aunt Rosalie had to kiss Santa!"


	4. We're Happy Tonight

We're Happy Tonight

Renesmee awoke on Christmas morning and could not help the smile that crossed her features. She was fast coming to love this holiday, especially last year when her uncle had dressed as Santa. Her Uncle Emmett had been quite an unorthodox Santa at times, but she would always treasure the memory of actually believing Santa existed that day.

She jumped out of her bed and ran to the window, gazing out at the winter wonderland before her. It was clearly one of those rare years in Forks where it snowed before Christmas, leaving frost on the windows and fresh, fluffy snow outside.

Her breath fogged up the window as she leaned closer to see whether Jacob was visible outside. When she was younger, he would always sleep just outside her window as a way to offer more protection, but now that she had grown, he slept around the corner of the house to offer privacy.

She smiled as she noticed two sets of paw prints – one headed towards the forest, the others returning towards the house. She spared a brief moment of thought in which she frowned over the fact that Jake had gone hunting without her. That thought passed quickly as she thought of how much fun they could have in the snow.

As much as she wanted to go outside to play with him, she couldn't resist seeing her parents first.

Throwing on her robe, she ran from her room and into the living room, happiness radiating through her. "Merry Christmas!" She called out upon seeing them sitting together at the piano.

Edward looked up from the piano keys to smile at his daughter. "Merry Christmas, Nessie." He and Bella had come to an agreement the year before that anything private they wanted to do with one another stopped an hour before Renesmee's average time of waking. They had had too many close calls when she was younger, and did not want to explain any awkward situations to their thirteen-year-old.

Bella turned from her place beside Edward and smiled at her daughter as well. "Did you sleep well?"

Renesmee nodded, coming to stand beside her mother. Bella put her arm around her and Renesmee leaned into Bella's side, kissing her mother's cheek quickly. "What are you doing?"

Bella glanced briefly at the piano, "Your father is trying to teach me how to play the piano."

Renesmee's eyes widened and she smiled. "Daddy, will you teach me to play later?"

"Of course," he agreed instantly. "I'm sure you'll learn faster than your mother." He winked at Bella, who narrowed her eyes at him.

"I've caught on fairly quickly," Bella retorted. Edward smiled and kissed his wife lovingly. Instead of looking away like most children would, Renesmee merely smiled at her parents, taking comfort in their open displays of affection. Her entire family frequently showed how much they loved each other and Renesmee delighted in watching them.

"Can I go outside to play with Jake?" Renesmee asked when they pulled apart, a smile touching her features.

"What about breakfast?" Edward asked, frowning. His daughter was becoming entirely too preoccupied with Jacob for his liking, though she still saw him only as her absolute best friend.

As a father specifically and a relative of Renesmee's in general, Edward was seriously lamenting the day his daughter saw Jacob as something more than a friend.

Guessing where his thoughts were, Bella frowned at him. Edward resisted the urge to laugh at how well his wife knew him.

"I could take it outside," Renesmee offered. "Better yet, I can just go hunting with Jacob."

"Of course you can go outside, Renesmee. Stay close to the house, please," Bella added.

Renesmee fought the urge to roll her eyes, a habit she had learned from observing her mother so closely over the years. "Yes, Mom. Jacob will be out there with me."

She wasn't positive, but she _may_ have heard her father growl lightly at this point in the conversation. This thought was backed by her mother glaring softly at him.

Not wanting to inadvertently cause her father to change his mind, Renesmee darted back into her room and dressed as quickly as she possibly could. Grumbling lightly, she put on her overwhelmingly stuffy outdoor clothes and hurried out the door. It wasn't that she actually felt the cold – it was mostly for show and a lot for her parents' unnecessary concern.

Jacob was waiting for her in his wolf form, a smile plastered on his furry face, his tail wagging quickly through the air. Renesmee felt her spirits soar as she saw him once again, and that same, odd sensation of everything settling into place washed over her and warmed her heart.

"Merry Christmas, Jake." She told him happily.

He smiled even more broadly at her before trotting off into the trees. She waited patiently, knowing that he was changing to human form once more. Sure enough, after hardly waiting for a full minute, Jacob emerged from the trees, now a fully-clothed human.

"Merry Christmas, Nessie." He said. "What did you want to do today?"

"Have a snow day," Renesmee told him with a grin. She bent down and scooped up a handful of snow into her hands. Much to her utter horror, the snow simply turned into liquid at her touch. "Jake! The snow – I can't hold it."

Jake frowned as he bent to try to roll a snowball. The snow was melting just as quickly for him because of his excessively warm body temperature. "I'm sorry, Nessie," he said sincerely. He hated to see her upset.

Renesmee frowned fully, crossing her arms over her chest and sitting cross-legged on the snowy ground. "So much for that," she grumbled, disappointment filtering through her.

"Can we help?"

Renesmee looked up to see her uncles standing beside her. Jasper was frowning at Jacob, no doubt as a response to the mood of frustration permeating the area, while Emmett was patiently awaiting his niece's response.

"Of course you can!" Renesmee said, standing to give them each a hug. "Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas," Jasper agreed. He had settled whatever issue was bothering him and bent to scoop some snow into a ball for his niece.

Not to be outdone, Emmett used his vampire speed to hastily create an elaborate snowman before Jasper could. He stood there grinning smugly and watched as Jasper slowly continued to roll his own ball. "Hah. Looks like I'm faster, Jasper."

Emmett had barely finished his sentence before being struck with a snowball the size of a basketball, courtesy of Jasper. Jasper was smirking at Emmett in a very brotherly fashion. Renesmee couldn't help but laugh at her Uncle Emmett's startled expression.

His shock gave way quickly and turned into a glare for Jasper as he bent to scoop up snow for his retaliation. The cottage door opened then and Bella emerged carrying a blanket and a picnic basket.

"Hey, little sister," Emmett said with a grin thrown her way. He was still holding the snow he had formed into a so-called ball in his hands and Bella eyed it warily.

"Emmett, if you chuck a boulder of snow at me, I will be forced to tear you to shreds," Bella informed him. Emmett barked a laugh as Bella came to a stop in front of her daughter and gracefully spread the blanket out on the ground with one hand.

"Mmm, what are we having?" Emmett asked, sitting on the blanket in the blink of an eye.

Renesmee giggled at her uncle. "Uncle Emmett, it's not for _you_."

Emmett pretended to pout as Renesmee and Jacob sat beside him on the blanket. Bella placed the basket in the center and stood with her hands on her hips as she stared at Emmett.

"Well, we're going to continue on our hunt," Emmett announced, quickly kissing his niece's cheek before standing.

"Would Edward join us, Bella?" Jasper asked.

"No, he's going to be otherwise engaged, but he thanks you for the invitation."

Emmett's laughter lingered behind as they took off at a run, but Jacob's groan was short and loud. "Bella, did you _have_ to?"

"Yes," she said with a simple smile. "Enjoy your food. There is more than enough there for you, too, Jake."

"Thanks, Bells," he said with a large grin, his mood increasing exponentially. He had learned long ago that Bella was an excellent chef, and he planned to take full advantage of this offer while it lasted. Who knew if she would continue to be as charitable in the years to come? Jacob wasn't stupid – he knew Edward was already beginning to become annoyed with how much time Jacob and Renesmee spent together. It wouldn't be long before Bella was, too.

Renesmee ate her share slowly while watching Jacob devour his food. When she looked at him or was near him, she felt happier than just about any other time in her life. She treasured each moment she had with him, always wondering when he would get fed up and leave. She found herself dreading that possible day with all her heart.

"Merry Christmas, Renesmee!" A cheerful, musical voice called out suddenly, interrupting Renesmee's musings.

Renesmee turned, full of happiness and surprise, to see her Aunt Alice approaching, something gray carried softly in one hand. "Merry Christmas, Aunt Alice!"

"Where's Rosalie?" Jacob asked, his voice slightly tinged with mock. One of his eyebrows was raised, further evidence of how wary he was about her possible sudden appearance.

"She's getting an earful from Esme and Carlisle about something that happened last night. Emmett escaped before the lecturing began, and I can guarantee you, he'll pay for that later."

"What did Aunt Rosalie do?" Renesmee asked.

A slight frown marred Alice's features before she quickly recovered and changed the subject. "I bought you something, Nessie."

Renesmee sat up straighter as her aunt handed her the object in her hand. Two objects, really. As she slipped her hands into each warm gray mitten, Alice said happily, "Your father called me as soon as he realized you were having issues holding the snow without it melting. The mittens are double-lined and will successfully block your body heat from melting the snow. Of course, I had to run out to buy them because we don't have any that fit you anymore. You're growing so fast."

"Aunt Alice, you made a trip purely for me?"

"Of course not," she laughed lightly. She reached into her coat pocket and tossed a pair of black mitts to a surprised Jacob. "I also stopped to buy myself an adorable orange dress for New Years' Eve. You'll love it, Renesmee."

"Thank you," Jacob choked out, still holding the mitts in his hands. Renesmee echoed his thank you, but filled hers with more gratitude.

"If you'll excuse me, I need to speak with your mother."

"Aren't they…" Jacob swallowed thickly, trying to force the images in his mind away, "busy?"

"No." Alice replied softly and without hesitation. "They're cleaning the cottage and then Bella is going to be sorting her closet. I need to be there to hint at a shopping trip, of course."

"Of course," Jacob muttered, rolling his eyes. Still skeptical, he said, "You're _sure_ that's what they're doing?"

"Positive. Whatever was said earlier is purely for Emmett's sake, I guarantee you." Alice added a dramatic tap to her temple to remind Jacob of her gift.

He laughed as Renesmee waved to her aunt before she disappeared through the door. Turning back to Jacob, she smiled softly. "Are you finished eating?"

"Hardly," he scoffed lightly. He continued to eat at a fast pace while Renesmee stood up from the blanket and began to pack snow together a short distance away.

By the time she had finished her fortified snow wall, Jacob had finished eating and was staring at the mitts Alice had bought for him. She took advantage of his distracted state and sent a snowball whizzing into the side of his head, unable to stop her laughter as it collided with his cheek. He turned to her, stunned.

"Is that a declaration of war, Nessie?"

With a laugh and a nod, Renesmee jumped behind her wall and knelt behind it. Little did Jacob know, Renesmee had formed a large pile of snowballs that were ready to be fired at her enemy.

Jacob pulled on the mitts quickly and began to lay a worthy siege to her fortress. He was no match for Renesmee's artillery, however, and soon began to lose the battle. She was hitting him with the snowballs faster than he could build up his own supply.

Just as it all seemed dire for Jacob, Emmett bounded to his side, declaring at a yell, "I'll help you!"

Jasper jumped behind Renesmee's wall as well, and used his special vampire speed to quickly replenish her vanishing supply of ready-made snowballs.

"Hiding behind a wall, Jasper? Is it because you're scared?" Emmett asked, putting more force behind his throws when they were directed at Jasper's head. One such snowball conveniently took out a large chunk of the wall Renesmee had built, causing Jasper to be momentarily exposed.

"Hah! We won't surrender!" Jasper exclaimed.

The battle raged on for awhile longer until one of Renesmee's throws hit Emmett square in the chest. "I'm hit!" He called out. Jacob was doing his best not to laugh as Emmett dramatically fell over into the snow. Jacob turned to Renesmee and Jasper and raised his hands slowly in the air.

"Good work, team!" Renesmee called to Jasper, returning the high five he offered.

"What was our team name?" he asked her.

"Ours was Team Awesome," Emmett announced, standing up and shaking the snow off himself. Unlike the others, Emmett didn't bother with the appearance of a winter jacket.

"You're not awesome," Jasper pointed out, standing up behind the wall now. "You lost."

"Technicality," Jacob said, rolling his eyes. Though both men had lost purposely for Renesmee's sake, neither was the type to enjoy losing. Jasper was enjoying this thoroughly, however.

"Re-match for real later," Emmett hissed quietly at him. Jasper nodded once in agreement.

"Where is my beautiful wife?" Jasper asked, helping Renesmee up. "I can feel her."

"She's sorting Mom's closet again," Renesmee replied. She turned to Emmett as Jasper went inside the cottage. "Aunt Rosalie is in trouble for something you two did last night. You should probably go help her."

Emmett looked sheepish, but shook his head. "No way. Esme is no doubt not pleased at all."

"I can't imagine why," Edward said with a laugh, joining the others outside. He immediately walked to stand beside his daughter who was making another snowman beside the one Emmett had built.

"You're one to talk," Emmett scoffed in return. "Destroyed any houses lately, Edward? Oh, that's right – you and Bella never do that sort of thing, do you?"

Edward growled lightly and casually shoved Emmett hard enough to make him lose his balance. Emmett shoved him playfully back, though much harder than Edward had originally. "Careful, Emmett," Edward cautioned.

Emmett barked out a laugh. "Nervous, Edward? You should be – I'm the strongest vampire here."

Renesmee was frowning at her uncle, a memory from long ago finding its way to her mind. She looked at her father, who had burst out laughing. "Nessie, please be a dear and ask your uncle for me."

Always happy to help her father out, Renesmee turned to her uncle and said, "Didn't Mom beat you in an arm wrestling match?"

Emmett looked flustered, "That was a very long time ago, Nessie. She's not as strong as I am anymore."

"Either way, Emmett," Edward said laughing. "_She_ beat you fair and square."

Emmett lunged at his brother, but Edward could see it in his thoughts and lunged back at him using the element of surprise to his advantage. He and Emmett crashed together with a loud bang and tumbled into the two snowmen, knocking them both down in a split second.

"Oh look, the _kids_ knocked the snowmen down," Rosalie said as she came across the scene before her, slight venom in her voice.

Emmett looked up from the snowy ground at his wife sheepishly. "Hey, babe. How's it going?"

"Lovely," Rosalie hissed. "I just had the most wonderful conversation with Esme and Carlisle, since it seems I broke that table entirely on my own. Isn't that right?"

"I warned you," Emmett said jokingly. Rosalie was not amused and he immediately looked contrite. "What can I do to make it up to you?"

"I have a few ideas," Rosalie replied. Before Edward even opened his mouth to make a joke relative to her thoughts, she hissed at him. "Don't even _start _with me."

Her tactics changed as she winked at Emmett and he jumped up eagerly. She then looked at her niece, "Merry Christmas, Renesmee. We'll see you at the house later."

She took Emmett's hand then, and the two disappeared back towards the Cullens' home. Edward was looking relieved that he was nowhere near them any longer.

Bella, Alice, and Jasper emerged from the cottage, then, the latter two waving and disappearing into the forest. Bella was rolling her eyes and muttering under her breath. "What is wrong, love?" Edward asked smoothly as she came to a stop at his side. He instantly pulled her into his arms.

"Alice," she muttered.

Jacob, not wanting to hear another long-winded string of complaints Bella had about Alice and shopping, turned to Renesmee. "Would you like to go for a walk?"

Renesmee grinned at him. "Yes, please."

They took off at a slow pace, leaving behind Edward, Bella, and Bella's complaints, and disappearing into the wintry forest. "It's beautiful in here," Renesmee said aloud, gesturing to their surroundings. The snow glistened like diamonds and reminded her of her family's skin in the sunlight.

"Very," Jacob agreed, unable to help his smile.

They walked in silence for a few minutes until Jacob realized Renesmee wanted to ask him something. When he noticed her open her mouth and then close it for the third time in as many minutes, he stopped and turned her to face him. "What's on your mind?"

She was looking anywhere but at him when she said, "Jake, are you lonely?"

Jacob blinked in surprise, not guessing that was what she would ask. "No. I'm with you, Nessie."

Renesmee smiled and Jacob mirrored it. "That's not what I mean," she explained.

"Oh," Jacob replied, the realization of what she meant hitting him. Not sure of what to say, he began to walk again, not looking at her.

"Well? Are you?" Renesmee asked, becoming flustered as she kept pace with him.

"No…." Jacob said quietly, praying she wouldn't ask any further questions. Knowing Nessie like he did, though, he knew it was a slim to none chance.

"Why not?"

Jacob hesitated, biting his tongue in his nervousness. He would have to be so very, very careful here. "I just…. I don't think about that."

Renesmee frowned as she glanced at him. "You should."

"Why?"

"Everyone wants to be with someone."

Jacob snorted, "Where did you come up with that?"

Renesmee shrugged as their pace slowed once more. "My whole family is so perfectly matched. They all have their happily ever after for eternity. I can't think of anyone who wouldn't want that."

"Life doesn't always go the way you plan, you know. Not everyone gets their happily ever after." Jacob did his best not to add that that was his biggest worry. That after all this time, after everything he felt for her, that she wouldn't want him, too.

She was silent for a moment, until he finally turned to look at her. "I hope you get your happily ever after, Jake."

Jacob choked in his effort to not laugh aloud at the irony of this conversation. "Yeah, me too."

"Are you in love with someone?" Renesmee asked suddenly. Jacob stumbled and quickly righted himself, wondering what the hell he could say to answer that question.

Unable to tell her anything but the truth, he said with a sigh, "Yes."

Renesmee was surprised at her own reaction. She was feeling extremely… jealous? She stopped walking and stood still, trying to process her emotions. She didn't have any right to feel jealous. "Oh." She murmured.

"Yeah," Jacob replied, shoving his hands in his pockets and waiting for her to go on.

"Do you talk to her a lot?"

"Every day," he replied with a grin. Renesmee tried to keep her emotions in check.

She needed to decide. She either needed to come out and say what she was feeling, or she needed to take the high road and be his best friend. "I need to meet her sometime then," she said half-heartedly as she began to walk again, deciding on the latter as the best course of action.

"Why?"

"To tell you whether I approve or not, of course." Jacob did laugh then, unable to keep silent any longer. Renesmee bristled at his reaction. "Fine, be that way."

"Nessie, don't get offended!" Jacob said, reaching out to stop her with a hand on her arm. "I'm sorry."

She turned to face him and smiled softly, "It's okay, Jake." She hesitated a moment before adding, "I'm still your best friend, right?"

"Always." He agreed, feeling relief spread through him that he managed that conversation well enough.

Renesmee nodded in agreement, "Always."

They walked together in silence for a long while, each content in their thoughts and happily at peace in their winter wonderland.

**A/N: Well, we've reached the end of chapter four! Three more to go :D This one really took on a life of its own and I never knew where it was going next. I'm pretty happy with it, though, and I hope you all are too! To all my subscribed readers, I apologize profusely for taking so long to get this out. Last week I was sick with H1N1, and it is extremely challenging to get into a good enough mood to write when you are that out of it. I hope this chapter was worth the wait and I'll update as soon as I can! Happy readings :D**


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